Sex Differences in Auditory Brainstem Responses of Two Rat Models of Autism: Environmental and Genetic Contributions to Autism-Like Auditory Function.
Autistic-like rat brains respond to sound differently by sex and by what caused the autism, so human studies must also split data by sex and biology.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cacciato-Salcedo et al. (2025) recorded tiny brain waves in rats that model autism. They used two rat types: one with a gene change and one exposed to valproic acid before birth.
The team checked boys and girls separately. They measured how fast and how strong the auditory brainstem response was after a click sound.
What they found
Girl rats always had bigger and slower brain waves than boy rats. Both autism-style groups had smaller waves that arrived later than control rats.
The sex difference changed depending on which autism model was used. This means sex and cause of autism mix together in the hearing pathway.
How this fits with other research
Locurto et al. (1980) first saw slower, jumpier brainstem waves in autistic kids. Sara’s group now shows the same pattern holds in rats, but only when you split by sex and model.
De Meo-Monteil et al. (2019) found unique auditory waves in big-brained autistic boys. The rat study echoes this idea: biology sub-groups show different brain signatures.
Bellon-Harn et al. (2020) used brain imaging to sort autistic children by nerve speed. Both papers prove one size does not fit all; auditory tests can flag sub-types.
Lu et al. (2024) saw sex-only brain network swings in autistic kids. The rat data add a second layer: sex matters, but the way it matters depends on how autism started.
Why it matters
If you assess auditory processing in clinic, ask for sex-split norms. A boy’s “delayed wave” may be typical for a girl, and a girl’s “normal” may mask risk. When you read new sensory research, check if authors separated male and female data. If they didn’t, the findings may not apply to every client you serve.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Autism is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by restricted, repetitive behaviors and atypical patterns of social communication and interaction. A considerable proportion of autistic individuals experience divergent auditory perception, which can interfere with their ability to navigate everyday sound environments. Auditory brainstem responses are electrophysiological potentials elicited by auditory stimuli that evaluate neural activity along the auditory nerve and brainstem. Importantly, the auditory brainstem response varies by sex, with females typically showing higher amplitudes and shorter latencies than males. This sex-specific neurophysiological profile is especially relevant in autism research, where the male-to-female diagnosis ratio is approximately 3:1. Thus, exploring the neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-specific variations in autistic traits is essential. Furthermore, autism sensory profiles may vary based on the independent and mutual effects of environmental and genetic factors. To deepen this understanding, we examined auditory brainstem responses in two rat models of autism: the GRIN2B rare mutation model and the prenatal valproic acid induction model, alongside control animals. We assessed peak amplitudes and latencies (Waves I through V), inter-peak intervals (I-III, I-V, and III-V), and amplitude ratios (III:I, V:I, and V:III). Female rats generally exhibited greater amplitudes and longer latencies across waveforms. Regarding rat models, control animals consistently showed larger amplitudes and shorter latencies compared to autism-like models. Exploratory analyses further suggested pairwise interactions between sex and rat model, indicating modulation of auditory phenotypes linked to autism. Thus, our findings reveal key insights into the effects of sex and rat model, as well as their interactions.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2025 · doi:10.1016/J.NEUROSCIENCE.2018.02.030